Climate Change

Simon Hughes: To ask the Solicitor-General how many  (a) Ministers and  (b) civil servants from the Law Officers' Departments will be attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in an official capacity.

Vera Baird: No Ministers or civil servants from the Law Officers Department's will be attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in an official capacity.

Fraud: Prosecutions

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Solicitor-General if she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the co-ordination of arrangements for the prosecution of cases of fraud.

Vera Baird: England and Wales have an established network of specialist anti-fraud prosecutors. The Attorney General and I keep their effectiveness under review, Our most recent assessment, coordinated by the Serious Fraud Office and the National Fraud Authority and involving the Association of Chief Police Officers, City of London Police, Metropolitan Police Service, Serious Organised Crime Agency, Crown Prosecution Service, the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, Companies Investigation Branch, Office of Fair Trading, Financial Services Authority, Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office, the Home Office and the Attorney General's Office has resulted in further work, being planned to strengthen multi-agency collaboration on the detection, disruption, investigation and prosecution of fraud. Details of this work will be set out in a report on progress against the National Fraud Strategy which will be published shortly.

Prosecutions

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Solicitor-General what recent progress has been made on national implementation of integrated prosecution teams.

Vera Baird: The Integrated Prosecution Team (IPT) project, which has been introduced across London, will create an integrated process that brings together pre-trial and case build functions of the police and the CPS. The aim of the project is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of casework handling between the police and the CPS. Teams will be mostly located in police stations. IPT is functional in 16 Boroughs (50 per cent.) across London. A further five boroughs have commenced the IPT implementation process. The remaining eleven Boroughs will co-locate during the period December 2009 to July 2010. The project includes provision for a post implementation review. The outcome from this review will enable the CPS to consider whether this London initiative has wider application across England and Wales.

Speed Limits: Cameras

Chloe Smith: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport, how many speed cameras there were in Norwich North constituency on the latest date for which information is available.

Paul Clark: Separate information about cameras operating in Norwich North is not held. The number of camera sites operating in Norfolk at the end of the National Safety Camera Programme, which ended on 31 March 2007, was 37. Since then, the deployment of safety cameras has been the responsibility of individual local partnerships. The number of cameras currently in place will therefore be a matter for Norfolk county council and the local road safety partnership.

Health Care and Housing: Armed Forces

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will discuss with the Secretary of State for Defence the provision of healthcare and housing for members of the armed forces based in Scotland who are returning from active service overseas.

Ann McKechin: The principles underlying the provision of healthcare and housing to members of the armed forces returning from operational deployment to Scotland are no different from those for other parts of the UK. I do however, have regular discussions with Defence and Scottish Ministers about armed forces personnel in Scotland.

Departmental Meetings

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which  (a) individuals other than Ministerial colleagues and officials of his Department and  (b) organisations he met in an official capacity in the week commencing 9 November 2009.

Jim Murphy: In its response to a report by the Public Administration Select Committee "Lobbying: Access and influence in Whitehall", the Government agreed to publish on-line, on a quarterly basis, information about ministerial meetings with outside interest groups. Information for the period 1 October to 31 December 2009 will be published by Departments as soon as the information is ready.

Departmental Food

Roger Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the proportion of  (a) lamb,  (b) beef,  (c) chicken,  (d) pork,  (e) turkey,  (f) other meats,  (g) vegetables and  (h) fruit procured by his Department that was produced in the UK in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The following table shows the information requested, where such food products were procured by contractors supplying food to HM Treasury during 2008-09.
	
		
			  Food procured from within UK: 1 April 2008 To 31 March 2009 
			Percentage 
			  (a) Mutton and lamb 87 
			
			  (b) Beef and veal 92 
			
			  (c) and  (e) Poultry meat, including chicken and turkey 35 
			
			  (d) Bacon 15 
			  Other Pork 95 
			
			  (g) Unprocessed potatoes 90 
			  Processed potatoes 82 
			  Roots and Onions (including carrots, parsnips, onions, turnips and Swedes) 70 
			  Brassica (including Brussels sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower) 75 
			  Legumes (including beans and peas) 55 
			  Protected vegetables (including tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, celery and sweet peppers) 35 
			  Other vegetables (including asparagus, celery, leeks, lettuce and watercress) 45 
			
			  (h) Orchard fruit (including apples, pears and plums) 20 
			  Soft fruit (including strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blackcurrants) 35

Generic Financial Advice Review

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent steps his Department has taken to implement the findings of the Thoresen Review of generic financial advice which the Government have accepted.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Government are testing the Thoresen Review's blueprint for a generic financial advice or 'Money Guidance' service through a large-scale pilot or pathfinder in the North West and North East of England. The £12 million pathfinder is jointly funded and delivered by HM Treasury and the Financial Services Authority. Launched in April, it is on track to meet its target to reach over 500,000 people by March 2010, through the Moneymadeclear website, helpline and face to face services provided by a wide range of local partners. The Moneymadeclear website and helpline is also available UK-wide.
	Interim evaluation findings from the pathfinder indicate that the Money Guidance service can be effective and the Money Guidance service will therefore be rolled out nationally from spring 2010. The Financial Services Bill introduced in the Commons on 19 November includes provisions for a new consumer financial education body which will lead and direct funding to national implementation of Money Guidance.

Government Securities

Roger Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what cost benefit analyses his Department carried out to assess the value for money of the issuance of a sterling sukuk; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Government have looked carefully at the case for issuing sovereign sukuk and concluded that it would not offer value for money at the present time but it will keep the situation under review.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many troops are involved in the training of Afghan security forces in Helmand province.

Bob Ainsworth: While there are currently, approximately 440 UK troops directly involved in the training of Afghan National Security Forces in Helmand Province, over the coming year, as the UK re-configures its force structure in Helmand to fully support COMISAF's partnering plan, the proportion of UK troops in Helmand involved in the training of Afghan Security forces will increase significantly.

Departmental Pay

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much funding his Department has allocated for  (a) year end and  (b) in-year bonuses for staff in 2009-10.

Bob Ainsworth: The total paybill for some 50,000 non-industrial and 11,000 industrial staff below the Senior Civil Service (SCS) (excluding Trading Funds) covered by the main pay awards is £1.827 billion of which 2.7 per cent. has been allocated for non consolidated performance awards for year end 2009-10.
	The total paybill for permanent members of the SCS is £19.3 million of which 8.6 per cent. has been allocated for non consolidated performance awards for year end 2009-10. This does not include Fixed Term employees at SCS level, who are employed on individual contracts.
	0.4 per cent of the total paybill for staff (excluding Trading Funds) has been allocated for in year Special Bonus Payments for year end 2009-10.

Departmental Meetings

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which  (a) individuals other than Ministerial colleagues and officials of his Department and  (b) organisations he met in an official capacity in the week commencing 9 November 2009.

Peter Hain: In the week of 9 November I met a range of individuals and organisations who have an interest in Wales and I attended the British Irish Council.

Departmental Pay

John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what  (a) bonuses and  (b) incentives have been paid to (i) consultants and (ii) contractors engaged by his Department in each of the last three years.

Chris Bryant: The information is as follows.
	 (a) Neither the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, its Executive agencies (FCO Services and Wilton Park) or its non-departmental public bodies make bonus payments to consultants or individual contractors.
	 (b) Incentive regimes are rarely used for contracts with consultants and individual contractors. If incentives are included in a contract they are negotiated on a case by case basis taking care to ensure value for money. No central record is maintained of such contractual provisions.

Departmental Pay

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what bonus schemes for its staff his Department operates; and what the purpose is of those schemes.

Chris Bryant: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) operates two types of bonus scheme.
	The main scheme is purely performance related, based on the previous year's appraisal. The purpose of the scheme is to encourage excellent individual performance and achievement during the year.
	We also operate an in year bonus scheme for staff below the senior civil service only.
	The scheme is designed to give managers scope to recognise specific examples of good performance, which contribute towards the achievement of the FCO, directorate general, directorate or mission's objectives.

Government Hospitality

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was spent by Government Hospitality in 2008-09.

Chris Bryant: In the financial year 2008-09 Government Hospitality in Protocol Directorate of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office recorded the following expenditure on functions, equipment, laundry, porterage, flowers, wines, spirits and soft drinks was £488,044.

Population: Statistics

Frank Field: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent assessment the UK Statistics Authority has made of the accuracy of the population projections at the 20-year range which it and its predecessors made in the last 50 years.

Dawn Butler: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply to the hon. Member. A copy of their response will be placed in the Library.

Tourism

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which 10 tourist attractions in England  (a) had the most visitors and  (b) raised the most revenue in each of the last two years.

Margaret Hodge: VisitEngland carries out periodical surveys of the free and paid entry major tourist attractions in England. Based on the self-completion questionnaires returned, the most visited sites in 2007 and 2008 are listed in the table. VisitEngland does not record revenue figures.
	
		
			  Name  Visitors 
			  2007  
			 Xscape Milton Keynes 6,863,733 
			 Blackpool Pleasure Beach 5,500,000 
			 British Museum 5,400,062 
			 Tate Modern 4,915,376 
			 River Lee Country Park 4,515,258 
			 National Gallery 4,159,485 
			 Xscape Castleford 3,742,081 
			 Natural History Museum 3,652,003 
			 Victoria and Albert Museum 2,809,900 
			 Science Museum 2,200,000 
			   
			  2008  
			 British Museum 5,930,000 
			 Tate Modern 4,862,581 
			 National Gallery 4,207,677 
			 Natural History Museum 3,260,731 
			 Science Museum 2,705,677 
			 Sheffield Winter Garden 2,500,000 
			 Victoria and Albert Museum 2,420,815 
			 Grand Pier, Weston-super-mare 2,000,000 
			 National Portrait Gallery 1,843,266 
			 Tate Britain 1,618,309

Home Information Packs

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number of home information packs produced in each month since August 2007.

John Healey: The Department does not have a record of the number of HPs produced. As HIPs must include an energy performance certificate (EPC), estimates are based on the number of EPCs lodged on the EPC register. The following table shows:
	The number of EPCs lodged on the EPC Register between 1 August 2007 and 21 September 2008. These totals include some 87,000 EPCs produced by local authorities and housing associations for rented homes as part of the social housing pilot.
	The number of EPCs produced for marketed sales since 22 September 2008. These totals are listed on a weekly basis and exclude EPCs for new homes using SAP as it is not possible to distinguish between EPCs produced in respect of new homes being built for rent and those being built for sale.
	
		
			   Number 
			 August 2007 24,915 
			 September 2007 63,542 
			 October 2007 85,192 
			 November 2007 50,080 
			 December 2007 28,834 
			 January 2008 74,161 
			 February 2008 101,176 
			 March 2008 96,187 
			 April 2008 113,801 
			 May 2008 93,906 
			 June 2008 88,316 
			 July 2008 92,102 
			 August 2008 96,665 
			 1 September 2008 - 21 September 2008 74,995 
			 22 September 2008 - 28 September 2008 23,513 
			 29 September 2008 - 2 November 2008 141,914 
			 3 November 2008 -30 November 2008 51,943 
			 1 December 2008 - 4 January 2009 36,046 
			 5 January 2009 - 1 February 2009 48,217 
			 2 February 2009 - 1 March 2009 57,340 
			 2 March 2009 - 29 March 2009 67,710 
			 30 March 2009 - 3 May 2009 90,130 
			 4 May 2009 - 31 May 2009 68,668 
			 1 June 2009 - 5 July 2009 92,118 
			 6 July 2009 - 2 August 2009 72,631 
			 3 August 2009 - 30 August 2009 72,799 
			 31 August 2009 - 4 October 2009 92,214 
			 5 October 2009 - 1 November 2009 66,106

Homelessness: South East

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homeless people there were in  (a) Lewes constituency,  (b) Sussex and  (c) the South East in each year since 1997.

Ian Austin: Information about English local housing authorities' actions under the homelessness legislation (Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996) is collected at local authority level, and published by the Department in the quarterly Statistical Release on Statutory Homelessness, available both in the Library and via the CLG website:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/statistics/homelessnessq22009
	Data collected includes the number of households accepted by local housing authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and therefore owed a main homelessness duty (to secure that suitable accommodation is available). If a settled home is not immediately available, the authority must secure temporary accommodation until a settled home becomes available, and this information is also collected.
	The regional figures for the number of applicants accepted as owed a main duty and the number of households in temporary accommodation, for each financial year since 1998-99 can be found in Tables 3 and 7 of the latest Statistical Release. The equivalent 1997-98 figures can be found in earlier additions of the Release, accessible from this link:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/homelessnessstatistics/publicationshomelessness/
	Data is not collected at constituency level. Lewes constituency covers most of Lewes local authority and part of Wealden. Data is also not reported at County level. Sussex County is divided into East and West. The following local authorities form part of East Sussex: Brighton and Hove, Eastbourne, Hastings, Lewes, Rother and Wealden. West Sussex comprises of the following local authorities: Adur, Arun, Chichester, Crawley, Horsham, Mid-Sussex, and Worthing.
	For local authority level acceptance and temporary accommodation figures between 1997-98 and 2008-09 (including those listed above), I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 23 June 2009,  Official Report, column 843W, to the hon. Member for Castle Point (Bob Spink).
	Information is also collected and reported on the number of people who sleep rough-that is, those who are literally roofless on a single night. Local authority data and count guidance can be found here:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/homelessness/roughsleeping/

Homes and Communities Agency

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the reasons were for the requirement for an advance from the National Loans Fund to the Homes and Communities Agency referred to on page 56 of the Agency's annual report and financial statement 2008-09.

John Healey: The advance from the National Loans Fund (NLF) was made to the Housing Corporation, one of the predecessor bodies for the Homers and Communities Agency (HCA), in 2007-8. This was re-paid by the Housing Corporation before the launch of the HCA on 1 December 2008 (though this appears in the HCA's financial statements for 2008-09 as these were prepared on a merger accounting basis to give results for the full financial year in 2008-09) and the amount owed was £ nil as at 31 March 2009.
	The purpose of the NLF loan to the Housing Corporation had been to continue to fund some residual historical loans made by the Housing Corporation dating from the 1990s made to assist with right to buy purchases.

Abortion

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to address the variation in levels of repeat abortions across England.

Gillian Merron: One of the aims of the Government's Sexual Health and HIV Strategy for England is to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies. The standard national health service contract for 2009-10 includes a new clause to ensure that abortion providers improve access to the full range of contraception for women undergoing abortion. A specification for abortion services is currently being developed to support implementation of this new requirement.
	The Department has invested £20.5 million in 2009-10 to improve access to contraception to improve all women's knowledge of, and access to the full range of contraception and help reduce the number of unintended pregnancies, abortion and repeat abortions. This includes £7 million for a "contraceptive choices" media campaign and a further £10 million to strategic health authorities (SHAs) for local action.
	Primary care trusts and SHAs were asked to use their funding to improve access to all contraceptive methods to reduce teenage conception, abortion and repeat abortion rates, particularly in areas where teenage pregnancy rates were high. We are actively working with the SHAs to monitor additional spend and share best practice.

Breast Cancer

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the percentage of bed occupancy was for patients with breast cancer was in  (a) England,  (b) each cancer network and  (c) each primary care trust area in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: The requested information is not centrally held.
	Information is collected annually from national health service providers showing the average daily number of available and occupied beds. However, this is not broken down by specialty. The latest data is for 2008-09 and is published on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Statistics/Performancedataandstatistics/index.htm

Dental Services

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how his Department plans to respond to the British Dental Association's proposal for changes to the dental access contract to be introduced on a trial basis.

Ann Keen: On 17 November 2009, primary care trusts (PCTs) were notified of the availability of a template, which has been developed as part of the Department's Dental Access Programme for use in contracting with dental providers for additional national health service primary care dental services. The final version of the template took account of views expressed by the British Dental Association during consultations on its preparation. It is up to individual dental providers to decide if they wish tender for services provided in accordance with the template. No changes are being imposed on existing providers.
	While the template includes quality standards, in line with the recommendations of the Independent Review of NHS Dental Services in England published in June 2009, we will pilot these recommendations carefully before making any substantive proposals to the general dental services contract and the personal dental service contract used in commissioning primary care dental services generally.

Departmental Cost Effectiveness

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what efficiency savings projects  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies put in place under the Operational Efficiency Programme; on what date each such project was initiated; how much each such project was expected to contribute to departmental savings; how much had been saved through each such project on the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The Department is working actively with its arms length bodies, national health service organisations and others including HM Treasury and the Shareholder Executive to implement the recommendations of the Operational Efficiency Programme. Rather than initiating new projects, in many areas this builds upon significant progress made by the Department and the NHS in recent years.
	For example, NHS Shared Business Services was established in 2005 and is now delivering shared back office services for over 100 NHS organisations.
	Through better collaborative procurement, the NHS has recorded billions of pounds of savings in recent years, including through the Gershon efficiency programme. To ensure continued progress on procurement, a new Department of Health and NHS Commercial Operating Model was launched earlier this year.
	Savings from the areas covered by the Operational Efficiency Programme will contribute to our existing value for money target for the current comprehensive spending review period. The Department's 2009 autumn performance report will be published in December and will include an update on progress towards this target.

Departmental Pay

John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what  (a) bonuses and  (b) incentives have been paid to (i) consultants and (ii) contractors engaged by executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies for which his Department is responsible in each of the last three years.

Phil Hope: The Department's two executive agencies, and nine of its 10 non-departmental public bodies did not pay any bonuses or incentives to consultants and contractors in the last three years.
	A single bonus payment of £1,000 was made to a contractor in the 2006-07 financial year by the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board, which is a non-departmental public body.

Departmental Recycling

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what weight of paper his Department recycled in each of the last five years.

Phil Hope: The tonnage of paper recycled from Department of Health offices is as follows:
	
		
			  Table  1 
			  Year (April to March)  Amount (tonnes) 
			 2005-06 303.85 
			 2006-07 286.70 
			 2007-08 264.03 
			 2008-09 218.20 
		
	
	The data in Table 1 relates only to the Department's core London administrative offices at Richmond House, Wellington House, Skipton House and New Kings Beam House. Figures for our building in Leeds are collected and reported by the Department for Work and Pensions.
	Our departmental file store in Nelson, Lancashire, recycled the following amounts:
	
		
			  Table 2 
			  Year (April to March)  Amount (tonnes) 
			 2006-07 46 
			 2007-08 48 
			 2008-09 40 
		
	
	Data for Nelson are not available for earlier years.

Departmental Theft

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many of his Department's officials have  (a) been reprimanded,  (b) had their contract of employment terminated and  (c) been prosecuted for theft of departmental property in each of the last three years; and what items were stolen in each case.

Phil Hope: In the last three years, none of the Department's officials have been reprimanded or had their contracts of employment terminated for theft of departmental property, neither has any departmental official been prosecuted for such a theft or thefts, during that time.

Eye Tests and Dental Checks

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are entitled to a free annual  (a) eye test and  (b) dental check; how many people received such tests in 2008-09; and what the cost was.

Ann Keen: It is not possible to identify how many people are currently entitled to free national health service sight tests and dental checks. Those groups who are entitled to NHS sight tests (which are available to all individuals within the eligible groups at no charge) or free dental care are summarised in the following table. Statistics are not available on the number of individuals who fall within all of these categories; nor can we identify how many people might be counted within more than one category.
	
		
			  Groups entitled to NHS sight tests  Groups entitled to free NHS dental care 
			 Aged under 16, or aged 16, 17 or 18 in full-time education Aged under 18, or aged 18 in full-time education 
			 Aged 60 or over A woman who is pregnant, or who has had a baby in the 12 months before treatment starts 
			 A diagnosed glaucoma patient, or someone who has been advised by an ophthalmologist that they are at risk of glaucoma, or someone aged 40 or over who is a parent, brother, sister, son or daughter of a diagnosed glaucoma patient A person who is an NHS in-patient whose treatment is carried out by a hospital dentist 
			 A person diagnosed as diabetic (1)A person who is an NHS Hospital Dental Service out-patient 
			 A person who is registered as severely sight-impaired/blind or sight-impaired/partially sighted When the treatment starts or when the charge is made, a person or their partner who is getting: Income Support Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance Pension Credit Guarantee Credit 
			 A person who needs complex lenses A person who is entitled to, or named on, a valid NHS tax credit exemption certificate 
			 A patient whose sight test is carried out through a hospital eye department as part of the management of an eye condition A person who is named on a valid NHS Low Income scheme HC2 certificate 
			 A person who is getting, or whose partner is getting: Income Support Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance Pension Credit Guarantee Credit  
			 A person who is entitled to, or named on, a valid NHS tax credit exemption certificate  
			 A person who is named on a valid NHS Low Income scheme HC2 certificate  
			 (1) There may be a charge for dentures and bridges 
		
	
	In 2008-09 11.3 million NHS sight tests were provided by primary care practitioners within the General Ophthalmic Service in England. This may not fully equate to the number of individuals who received tests, because some people may have had more than one test within the year. Further details including the breakdown of the number of tests according to the category of entitlement recorded for each patient is available in the report General Ophthalmic Service: Activity Statistics for England and Wales Year Ending 31 March 2009 published by the NHS Information Centre for health and social care. A copy of the report is available at the Information Centre's website at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/primary-care/eye-care/general-phthalmic-services:-activity-statistics-for-england-and-wales-year-ending-31-march-2009
	In 2008-09, 18.4 million courses of dental treatment were provided by NHS primary dental care services in England to patients who qualified for free treatment. This will not equate to the number of individuals who received care because some people will have received more than one course of treatment within the year. Most courses of treatment will have incorporated a dental examination. Further details, including the breakdown of the number of courses of treatment according to the category of entitlement recorded for each patient, is available in the report NHS Dental Statistics for England: 2008-09 published by the NHS Information Centre for Health and Social Care. A copy of the Information Centre report has already been placed in the Library.
	The cost of NHS sight tests provided within the General Ophthalmic Service in 2008-09 is estimated at £223 million.
	Since dentists are no longer paid an itemised fee for each element of treatment under the new primary dental service contract arrangements introduced in April 2006, it is not possible to separately identify the cost of dental examinations.

Health: Screening

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time was for patients to receive the 15 key diagnostic tests in each year since the collection of this data began in 2006.

Mike O'Brien: Average (median) waiting times for the patients waiting for the 15 key diagnostic tests are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Median waiting times for patients waiting for the 15 key diagnostic tests (weeks) March 2006 to September 2009 
			  Time period ending  Median waiting time for 15 diagnostic tests 
			 March 2006 5.8 
			 June 2006 5.4 
			 September 2006 5.2 
			 December 2006 5.5 
			 March 2007 3.9 
			 June 2007 3.4 
			 September 2007 2.8 
			 December 2007 3.0 
			 March 2008 2.1 
			 June 2008 1.7 
			 September 2008 1.6 
			 December 2008 2.2 
			 March 2009 1.7 
			 June 2009 1.7 
			 September 2009 1.6 
			  Note: Median waiting times are calculated from aggregate data, rather than patient level data, and therefore are only estimates of the position on average waits. This should be taken into account when interpreting data.  Source: Department of Health Diagnostic Waiting List Collection DM01

Multiple Sclerosis: Drugs

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effects of the risk sharing scheme for the provision of multiple sclerosis disease-modifying drugs on the availability of other drugs for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, including drugs approved by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence;
	(2)  when he expects the risk sharing scheme will be able to demonstrate the value for money of multiple sclerosis disease-modifying drugs;
	(3)  what the cost has been of the risk sharing scheme for disease-modifying drugs since its inception.

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of progress on the risk-sharing scheme for provision of multiple sclerosis disease-modifying drugs;
	(2)  what his most recent estimate is of the cost to date of the risk-sharing scheme for the provision of multiple sclerosis disease-modifying drugs; and what estimate he has made of the total cost of the scheme over its projected lifespan;
	(3)  what recent assessment he has made of the operation of the risk-sharing scheme for the provision of multiple sclerosis disease-modifying drugs.

Mike O'Brien: While we have made no formal assessment, we consider that it is unlikely the scheme has made any significant impact on the availability of other drugs used to treat multiple sclerosis. The drugs included in the scheme are used within criteria developed by the Association of British Neurologists. The national health service is obliged to fund other drugs approved by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) within the terms of the appraisal guidance. Natalizumab (Tysabri) is the only other licensed medicine which has an impact on the course of the disease and has been recommended by NICE for use in the NHS.
	Data from the first two years of follow-up of the monitoring cohort of the Multiple Sclerosis Risk Sharing Scheme have been collected and these data have been analysed and interpreted by an independent advisory group. A paper outlining the results is to be published shortly on the  British Medical Journal's website
	www.bmj.com
	We estimate that the costs incurred since the scheme's inception are in the order of £350 million. This figure is made up of £200,000 a year representing the Department's 20 per cent. share of running the contract; an average £35,000 a year to meet the MS Trust's administration costs for the scheme and drug costs of around £50 million a year.

Asylum

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many nationals of  (a) Afghanistan,  (b) Belarus,  (c) Burma,  (d) the People's Republic of China,  (e) Colombia,  (f) Cuba,  (g) Democratic Republic of Congo,  (h) the Democratic People's Republic of Korea,  (i) Iran,  (j) Iraq,  (k) Israel,  (l) the Palestinian Territories,  (m) Pakistan,  (n) the Russian Federation,  (o) Saudi Arabia,  (p) Somalia,  (q) Sudan,  (r) Syria,  (s) Turkmenistan,  (t) Uzbekistan,  (u) Vietnam and  (v) Zimbabwe were refused asylum in the UK in each month of (i) 2007, (ii) 2008 and (iii) 2009 to date; and how many in each category (A) are awaiting a decision on an asylum application and (B) have been forcibly deported.

Phil Woolas: Table 1 placed in the House Library shows the number of principal applicants refused asylum, humanitarian protection and discretionary leave at initial decision in the UK in each month of 2007, 2008 and from January to June for 2009 for the requested nationalities. Information on asylum applicants of those refused and awaiting a decision or have been forcibly deported, by nationality, is unavailable and could be obtained only by examination of individual case records at disproportionate cost. Table 2 placed in the House Library shows the number of removals and voluntary departures of principal asylum cases, January 2007 to June 2009.
	Information on immigration and asylum are published annually and quarterly. The latest statistics for Q3 2009 will be available on 26 November 2009. Annual statistics for 2008 and the latest statistics for Q2 2009 are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html

Departmental Energy

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the  (a) energy rating and  (b) energy band of each building occupied by his Department and its agencies was in each of the last three years.

Phil Woolas: Display energy certificates (DEC) were introduced in 2008. OGC publish central Government Departments' display energy certificate (DEC) operational ratings on a building by building level twice a year. The most recent data for the Home Office, published on 31 July 2009, which includes DEC ratings up to and including 28 February 2009 can be seen via this link:
	http://www.ogc.gov.uk/documents/Pan_Govt_DEC_Feb09.xls
	This information covers one Home Office Building, 16 UK Border properties and eight Identity and Passport Service buildings.
	Data to October 2008 can be seen via this link:
	http://www.ogc.gov.uk/documents/Pan_Govt_DEC_Oct08.xls
	Data relating to the month ending 30 September 2009 will be published on 18 December 2009.

Gurkhas

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has made an estimate of the number of Gurkha ex-servicemen who retired prior to 1 July 1997 likely to settle in Nepal if they were to receive a pension on terms equivalent to those of the armed forces pension scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 23 November 2009
	 No such estimates have been made on the numbers of those opting to remain in Nepal rather than settle in the United Kingdom if, having retired from the Brigade of Gurkhas prior to 1997 they were to receive a pension on the same terms as those on the armed forces pension scheme.

Education: Assessments

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which qualifications have been accredited for the 2009-10 academic year; if he will estimate for each qualification the proportion of the final mark which is to be based on teacher assessment; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The National Database of Accredited Qualifications (NDAQ) lists all currently accredited qualifications from entry level to level 8. As of 19 November 2009, 9,748 qualifications are listed. Further details of these qualifications can be found online:
	http://www.accreditedqualifications.org.uk/index.aspx
	The Section 96 page of the DCSF website
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/section96
	provides a link to the list of qualifications the Secretary of State has approved to be delivered in maintained schools, and for under 19-year olds in further and work-based education and training. Approximately 7,500 qualifications are currently listed. The methods of assessment vary according to the qualification and could only be provided for each qualification at disproportionate cost.

Remittances

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which countries in receipt of development aid from his Department have experienced a reduction in the  (a) number and  (b) monetary value of migrant remittances in the last three years; and what steps his Department takes to establish the effects of such remittances on (i) the economy of the recipient country and (ii) the pattern of his Department's distribution of development aid.

Gareth Thomas: Based on the most recent World Bank data for the period 2006-08, no countries receiving developmental aid from the Department for International Development (DFID) have experienced a reduction in the number or monetary value of migrant remittances in the last three years. We will continue to monitor this as new data becomes available.
	DFID Country Offices monitor remittance flows as part of their routine macroeconomic surveillance. Decisions on where UK bilateral aid is spent are initially guided by three principles: levels of Gross National Income (GNI) per person; population size; and confidence on whether the aid resources will be used effectively. As remittances are part of the GNI calculation, they are captured in decisions about the allocation of DFID's aid.

Departmental Pay

Vincent Cable: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many and what proportion of staff in his Department received bonus payments in 2008-09; what the total amount of bonuses paid was; what the largest single payment was; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: BIS was formed through a MOG change that occurred in June. The Department was created by merging Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS). This means that BIS in its current form did not exist in 2008-09 and therefore did not make any bonus payments as BIS.
	The two Departments that were merged to create BIS spent the following:
	
		
			  Department  N o.  of people that received an Annual Performance bonus in 2008-09  The proportion of people that received an Annual Bonus in 2008-09 (%)  No .  of people that received an "In year" bonus in 2008-09  The proportion of people that received an "In year" bonus in 2008-09 (%)  The total amount of money spent by the department on bonuses in 2008-09 (£)  The largest single payment issued by the department in 2008-09 (£) 
			 BERR 1,025 35 1,218 42 2,827,223 16,500 
			 DIUS 216 24 201 22 535,006 20,000 
			  Notes: (1). In year reward schemes include special bonuses and non pay rewards that are awarded for excellent performance in particularly demanding tasks or situations. Staff in receipt of an in year performance bonus may also have received an annual performance award. (2). Annual Performance Awards paid to Highly Successful performers as part of the annual pay award.

Ashwell Prison

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Harborough of 11 November 2009,  Official Report, columns 262-63W, on Ashwell Prison, when he expects  (a) the police investigation regarding the incident at HM Prison Ashwell in April 2009 and  (b) the strategic review of HM Prison Ashwell to be completed.

Jack Straw: The police investigation into the serious incident at HMP Ashwell is a matter for Leicestershire police. I understand that their investigation is continuing.
	A strategic review of Ashwell is well under way and I will report to the House once further decisions have been taken.

Youth Custody

David Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many children aged between  (a) 10 and 14 and  (b) 15 and 17-years were in custody on (i) the latest date for which figures are available and (ii) the equivalent date in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: The following tables show how many children and young people aged between  (a) 10 and 14 and  (b) 15 and 17-years were in custody on (i) 2 October 2009, and (ii) 2 October in each of the last five years.
	The data have been provided by the Youth Justice Board and are drawn from administrative computer systems. As with any large scale recording system, the data are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and may be subject to change over time.
	
		
			  (i) Young people in custody by age group as of 2 October 2009 
			   Number 
			 (a) 10 to 14 137 
			 (b) 15 to 17 2,419 
			 Total 2,556 
		
	
	
		
			  (ii) Young people in custody by age group 
			   As of  2 October each year 
			  Age group  2008  2007  2006  2005  2004 
			 (a) 10 to 14 159 186 221 226 206 
			 (b) 15 to 17 2,755 2,797 2,832 2,779 2,576 
			 Total 2,914 2,983 3,053 3,005 2,782